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Rivals
' |image= |series= |production=40512-431 |producer(s)= |story=Jim Trombetta Michael Piller |script=Joe Menosky |director=David Livingston |imdbref=tt0708613 |guests=Chris Sarandon as Martus, Max Grodénchik as Rom, Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien, Barbara Bosson as Roana, K Callan as Alsia, Albert Henderson as Cos |previous_production=Sanctuary |next_production=The Alternate |episode=DS9 S02E11 |airdate= 2 January 1994 |previous_release=(DS9) Sanctuary (Overall) Parallels |next_release=The Alternate |story_date(s)=Unknown (2370) |previous_story= Sanctuary Parallels |next_story= The Pegasus The Alternate }} =Summary= Odo places El-Aurian Martus Mazur in a holding cell after accusing him of swindling aboard Deep Space Nine. While in his cell, Martus acquires a gambling device that alters the laws of probability after his cellmate, an old man named Cos, dies. Because of his change in luck, he is released from confinement after the elderly couple he conned decides not to press charges. With his new and intriguing device, he sets up a bar and casino that ends up drawing business away from Quark. However, the device soon turns on him and he himself is conned into losing a large sum of money. In addition, the couple he swindled out of money changes their mind and presses charges against him. To prevent more tampering with natural probability, Sisko and Dax destroy the device. Meanwhile, O'Brien attempts to get in shape so that he can compete effectively with Bashir at racquetball. As part of a ploy to regain lost business for the bar, Quark is able to trick O'Brien and Bashir into participating in a public tournament that people can bet on. When O'Brien performs abnormally well, he realizes that there are statistical abnormalities on the station. This leads the crew to discover the effects of the devices in Martus's establishment, and O'Brien and Bashir agree to cancel the rest of the game. =Errors and Explanations= Plot Oversights # Evidently Odo never inventories the old male's possessions before putting him in the cell. When the geezer dies, Martus keeps the bauble! What is this? The old West? ("Ya ol' hackin' Bob died with his boots on, he did. You want 'em?") Maybe the old man kept the bauble hidden. # In this episode a female con artist takes Martus for 10,000 isiks. When Martus delivers the funds it looks suspiciously like many bars of gold- pressed latinum. Now, I can understand how the female con artist might have a different name for her currency. But at the end of the episode, Quark offers Martus 500 isiks to leave the station. Why isn't Quark talking about strips or slips of latinum? Perhaps some form of currency conversion? # So...these machines alter the laws of probability, eh? Now, that's quite a trick. I've been thinking about this and I can't image how this would be done without active continual intervention. For instance, Dax gets "lucky" when a file she has been searching for suddenly appears. Then she gets "unlucky" when the file disappears. Computers, dear friends, do not work on luck. They work from a series of commands. Someone or something had to bring that file to the surface. Someone or something had to send it away. And that someone or something had to know exactly what they were doing. In the same train of thought, consider the big match between O'Brien and Bashir. Supposedly no matter who hits or throws the racquetball, it always bounces to O'Brien. There simply hasto be some type of active intervention by someone or something. The way a ball bounces is dictated by physics (angle of attack, velocity, wind resistance, density of the surface, etc.). Although there is some chaos involved, that chaos will never lead to a programmed response like we see here. Evidently the machines send out little gremlins that are making these things happen. Keith Alan Morgan on Sunday, May 21, 2000 - 10:12 am: (Nit Central) This is a space station that spins and has an artificial gravity, so maybe the artificial gravity sometimes fluctuates, and perhaps little things can affect how fast or slow the station spins. Nothing necessarily noticeable to the people on it, but enough so that the ball might be pulled in O'Brien's direction. Like the gravity field under O'Brien getting a touch heavier, while the rest of the room gets a bit lesser. Just an idea. # Having said all that, I am stunned and astonished at the apparent lack of scientific interest in these machines displayed by Sisko and Dax. Think of the potential if one could unlock their secrets and rig them always to flood the station with good luck! (How about that for a weapon to use against the Jem'Haddar? "I'm sorry, founder, but every time we attack the station, one of our engine nacelles falls off or the soldier at Tactical has a stroke or ...") Sooner or later, it would rebound on the station when the good luck ran out! # Great confusion surrounds the system of justice utilized by Odo on the station. Near the end of the episode, Odo arrests Martus because a Pythron couple has filed charges. Then Quark comes into the cell block and starts negotiating to pay the guy to leave the station. Excuse me? Isn't the guy going to stand trial on the charges? The trial may be held elsewhere. Or is Quark encouraging the guy to become a fugitive? Maybe Quark wants to see the back of Mantus as quickly as possible And, if so, is Odo listening in on this conversation? I would hope so! This would give Odo a hold over Quark if he needed it. Equipment Oddities # After arresting Manus, Odo places him in a cell with a sickly old male. (l believe this is the first time we've ever seen two to a cell, but that's okay be-cause it's essential to the plot. Wink, wink.) The cell doesn't appear to have any rest-room facilities. Maybe they are built into the wall? That would make sense. If the brig where Sybok has Kirk, McCoy and Spock imprisoned during Star Trek V The Final Frontier has retractable seating, than why not a retractable sink or toilet? # Interestingly enough, Martus replicates larger versions of the gambling sphere without knowing how it works. The replicator even reproduces the spheres' internal power units! (Is there a problem here with perpetual motion? Could you replicate a replicator with new power cells before the power cells on the old replicator failed?) Given the amazing success at replicating a machine that actually changes the laws of probability, I'm having a hard time believing a replicator would have much difficulty reproducing gold- pressed latinum. Why doesn't Quark just take a bar of latinum to the replicator and make a whole bunch more? Obviously the replicators on DS9 are really sophisticated. More likely that Manus was temporarily lucky enough that the replicators overcame any problems this would normally cause! Continuity And Production Problems # Bashir causes a small continuity error. Early on, O'Brien strolls happily down the hall to his newly completed racquetball court. The doors open and he finds Bashir inside going through a warm-up exercise. The good doctor has his hand raised, palm facing outward, fingers spread in the American numeric representation for five. The shot changes and suddenly Bashir's hand turns palm in - now showing the American numeric representation for two. (Of course, it's possible Bashir really can move this fast. That would account for his extraordinary racquetball capability.) Lots of people can move their hand that quickly – Ted Rogers did it on the quizshow 3-2-1! Nit Central # Kathryn Ramage on Saturday, January 15, 2000 - 2:04 pm: When Quark announces the raquetball match, Bashir is leaning on the bar in the opening long shot, but is suddenly standing upright when the shot changes as O'Brien walks in. It is possible for people to switch position like this that quickly! # Keith Alan Morgan (Kmorgan) on Thursday, July 27, 2000 - 2:31 am: So Martus is from the El Aurian system. I thought the El Aurian system was destroyed, or taken over, by the Borg two centuries earlier? Chris Thomas on Friday, July 28, 2000 - 12:28 am: The El Aurian system may have been overpowered but El Aurians still exist - and Guinan proves they live for a long time - so he can still *come* from there. He's talking about his origins. Category:Episodes Category:Deep Space Nine